Pastor Paul Reotutar

I was born in Philippines in September 9, 1987 and came to United States at the age of 4. It was I, my parents, and two older siblings that I had arrived with. Looking back at it, my dad was in the navy, and God using him to bring us to the states was a miracle alone, because we left just before a volcanic eruption had occurred. I grew up in southern California my whole life. I also grew up as a Christian but, I have never thought I would build up a relationship with God that had caused me to become the man I am today. Going back a few years, I went to El Camino elementary, in Montclair. I attended there from k-5th grade, during those years I have always been a little trouble maker causing havoc with the teachers and deliberately bullying others. It’s amazing how I still remember the many times I’ve been sent home from the office early, for misbehavior. But praise the Lord I made it out, even though other kids thought I was going to stay there forever.

Now on to middle school, it was a much more different atmosphere for me, I’m a firm believer of whatever you sow you reap, and during my middle school years, I have been bullied many times and it had caused me to engage in my first fight, against a bigger bully. After that, I became a very frustrated person and quick tempered. By the Grace of God I was able to graduate from middle school from Pomona, but after triggered the first fight I had engaged in, it hadn’t stopped there. Coming in High School as a freshman, my mom didn’t want me to be part of Pomona high because of the environment and reputation it had. Unfortunately, I believe every school has its flaws. I attended Upland High school as a freshman, it was much different, I felt really excluded from the others, not because of ethnicity, but I felt as if I wasn’t good enough for the school. There were many times I had felt alone and thought about what my purpose was in living, but throughout all these times, when I look back at it, God had always been walking with me even though I felt like He wasn’t.

So as every teenager has phases, I too had mines, during my freshman year in Upland, I was trampled by a gang of individuals who eventually had a girlfriend that had a major crush on me. Because of that, one of the guys affiliated with the gang informed the boyfriend and found out, as I was walking out from my last class, all I hear was a bunch of cars screeching as I was crossing the street and multiple men, that seemed to be 25 and over, confronted me, before I had a chance to even take out more of them, I realized I was already being stomped on the floor. The proctors arrived and helped me up, asking if I wanted to go to the office, but I refused because I didn’t want my parents to find out about it. I told one of my older sisters and to found out that the people that had ganged up on me was an actually gang from Pomona. So fast forwarding 3 years, by this time I was still seeking revenge from the people who had hurt me during my freshman year, and during my half a year attendance in Upland, I left to go back to Pomona High. It felt like I never left home, I was welcomed back by friends from my middle school and now everything felt in place.

Until I had ran into one of the younger brothers of the gang that had hurt me a couple years back. He was surprised he had seen me and gave me a grin. From then on, I had embedded that in my heart before I graduated I wanted to take action, so towards the end of my junior year, I found a few friends that was also inflicted by the same gang, with the similar reasons. So we planned retaliation, and we formed up our own little posse. It was during an Asian festival, that we wanted to do it by, because we heard they were all going to be there, before we engaged in the rumble, I had felt such a heavy conviction, that I was a little hesitant. But I put all emotions aside and just went through it anyways, a lot of my friends got hurt and injured and many of our opponents suffered the same also. It was a great feeling for awhile, but see everything that this world has to offer is temporary, I felt regretful after had graduated.

At this time I was a freshman in college, and attended Mt. San Antonio for business major, during September 2005. I was already attending Shiloh Tabernacle by this time, but to see and feel rooted was during 2006. Attending Shiloh, and looking back at how it was all God’s timing is amazing. The summer of my junior year in high school, was the first time I had met, Apostles, who back then were Pastors Ruth and Puredi Hillary. I was coming back from a fight at a local park from basketball that went a little off track, as I got home, I had seen my whole family in tears. I thought somebody had died or at least my dad’s uncle. But it turned out that it was God’s presence that overwhelmed the whole atmosphere, as soon as I saw Pastor Ruth, she looked straight at me with the eyes of conviction, I didn’t pay attention to anything else but what God had said through her, “The enemy has you on sniper range.” As soon as I heard that, I knew God was speaking to me, then came Pastor Puredi coming out of the bathroom, and I realized they were my grandpa’s physical therapist at this point. So from then on, I started attending Shiloh, 2004.

At first it felt as if I was attending any type of church, but the sermon that got to me was the way God uses Pastor Puredi in his preaching, while his eyes were closed. I remember one time, he mentioned that he is led to preach with his eyes closed and as soon as he opens it, whomever he sees, that Word was for him or her. So as any other human being I tend to fall short, but I continued to walk in excuses, at 17, I knew of God and I read the bible and tried my best to stay good, eventually that was not enough for the calling that had been put upon my life. Going a few years forward, I took the step to make things more clearer with God, I wanted to find out more about life and how to live it in His eyes. So at 21, I felt more stronger building a relationship with God, and it was not easy from there on out. But everything that I had gone through going in and out of college, having the discipline that I needed, to a point when my own pastors, who became my spiritual parents, would go to my house 6am in the morning just to say, that I am off my post with God, was such an honor and privilege to experience. From that day on, I knew they cared and loved me so much because of the Love of God that dwelled in them.

As I got stronger in Christ the attacks of the enemy also had gone stronger, there was a time in my life while I was attending Shiloh, I had back slid and didn’t want the fullness of God. Not because of things I wanted to do in life, but the fear of knowing that there is no turning back once I go full out in Christ, I had doubted myself beyond measures, put my job and business ambitions over anything and everything. During this time I had also got into dancing, which was a talent I got blessed with and never knew I had. But I didn’t use it to glorify God so therefore it didn’t really go that far with it.

So it is 2009, and I was still not rooted to the fullness with Shiloh, but I was always that person outside looking in, observing who comes and goes, but not minding my own heart and asking God to check it. I didn’t want to feel any conviction, nor the feeling of brokenness. I wanted to stay comfortable where I’m at, with the world, dance, playing ball, talking to multiple girls, etc… Until God…said enough is enough, but He did it in unusual ways. He used a certain individual to get my full attention, and for some reason, even knowing that she didn’t really have a full out relationship with God, I knew she was open.

So I invited her to Shiloh, and she fell in love with the atmosphere, same way I felt first time I attended. God had used her to help me seek His face more than ever, reminding me that even though I’ve turned my back from God but not only that walking out from His presence, He was still willing to bring me back in his arms. It was surely a process, and throughout all the rollercoaster ride that I’ve experienced with myself and at that time with my girlfriend, I was able to find my way back and to finally answer the calling I was called to be. I found my way back to with the first time I felt His Love.

Now that I am currently attending Shiloh till this day, it has been almost 11years and counting, I am now engaged to the woman of my dreams, the one that had helped me get back on my feet physically, mentally, and spiritually, by the Grace of God. I am proud to say that it is such an Honor and Privilege to serve a King of all kings, Lord of all lords, my bright Morning Star, that shines and guide my path. That even though it took 11years to finally catch my attention, looking back throughout all those years I’ve gone through, felt hurt, disappointed, stressed, depressed, oppressed, alone, God was Walking with me the whole time. He truly works in unusual ways, and unexpected ways, because I had not planned to the nearest thought of being a pastor, but at the age of 26 experiencing the presence of God until this day, having the Grace of God, until this day, and blessing me with a family that is blessed beyond measures, including with a woman of God who is a blessing beyond measures, there is no place on this Earth I would rather be but be the Man of God, who is willing to do whatever it takes to please the One Who Gave His Life For our sins, so that we may live the life we don’t deserve. In Jesus name Amen.